Outside Yanzhou City, in the camp of the bandits, Xu Bian, Wang Guoning, Ma Jinzhong, Li Yangchun and other major bandit leaders gathered in the tent, staring at each other and not talking.
Since the last siege was defeated, three more days have passed. During these three days, the bandits launched attacks on Yanzhou City every day. However, Yanzhou City's defense is obviously stronger than the first day.
Many. Not to mention that they almost broke through the city like the first day, it became very difficult to even attack the city wall.
At the same time, under the strict defense of the government troops, the bandits suffered heavy casualties. At this time, the number of people killed more than 10,000, and the elite bandits also killed more than 2,500 people. The number of injured people was also
There are more than 3,000 people. Since there are basically no professional doctors among the bandits and there are also lack of necessary medicinal materials, the injured bandit soldiers are basically not well taken care of. Whether they are dead or alive, they can only fulfill their destiny.
Therefore, in the camp, the humming sounds of wounded soldiers could be heard everywhere, and every day there were people who died of serious injuries.
Under such circumstances, Xu Bian, Wang Guoning and Li Yangchun felt that they could not resist it, and advocated another way to think of another way. Only Ma Jinzhong was still a little unwilling to accept it and insisted on continuing to attack Yanzhou. At this time, several people were doing it.
This started a discussion.
Xubian first said: "I don't think we can continue to fight anymore. Our losses are too great. And I don't know that it will be possible to conquer Yanzhou City on that day. Maybe we can't conquer it at all. If we continue to fight, we are afraid that we will
All these people have to be consumed here. Therefore, we should find another way out."
Ma Jinzhong retorted: "Find another way out? It's easy to say that we can get it, but now we have other ways to go? If there is really another way out, then we wouldn't have attacked Yanzhou Prefecture in the beginning."
Several other people also knew that what Ma Jinzhong said was the truth. Attacking Yanzhou Prefecture was indeed the first time. After discussing for a long time, everyone thought it was the only way out. Therefore, after Ma Jinzhong asked, no one could answer, and the tent was also in the big tent.
Silence.
After a while, Wang Guoning said, "Or we might as well go back, and we should join forces with the King of Chuang or the Eight Great Kings. Everyone will work together, and if there are more people, they will be more powerful."
Ma Jinzhong sneered and said, "There are more people and the power is naturally greater. But you also have to consider whether we have more people or the King of Chuang, and the Eight Kings and the others have more people? To put it nicely, I'm afraid of it.
I am afraid that after the joint venture is over, I will be able to live up to your life.”
Wang Guoning also argued strongly: "I think the King of Chuang is not that kind of person."
Ma Jinzhong snorted again and said, "When you understand that they are such people, I'm afraid it will be too late."
In fact, Wang Guoning doesn't know that going to a joint venture with Li Zicheng or Zhang Xianzhong is tantamount to seeking a slut with a tiger. If it's good, it's just a small leader under their hands. If it's bad, it's a life that's going to be a bad person. But there's no other way now.
After saying this, after hearing Ma Jinzhong's words, he couldn't help but feel depressed and said nothing.
At this time, Li Yangchun said again: "So can we bypass Yanzhou Prefecture and go to other places, such as Qingzhou Prefecture?"
Ma Jinzhong shook his head and said, "We can't even fight Yanzhou Prefecture, so why do we talk about fighting other places? If we bypass Yanzhou Prefecture and cannot fight Qingzhou Prefecture or Laizhou Prefecture, then how can we Aren’t you being attacked from both sides? Therefore, even if you want to attack other places, you must first defeat Yanzhou Prefecture. Only in this way can you leave a way out for yourself.”
After hearing this, the others felt that what Ma Jinzhong said made sense. Over the years, they have been dealing with the government army and have not learned anything else, but knowing one thing is enough to be active in areas with good transportation. Once the situation is unfavorable It is also convenient for escape. Shandong is surrounded by the sea on three sides and has little room for maneuver, but it is not an ideal place for bandits to move around.
Xu changed his mind: "This is not possible, that is not possible. Wouldn't we just wait here to die?"
Ma Jinzhong said: "Of course we won't wait for death. The best choice now is to continue working hard and conquer Yanzhou."
After hearing this, the other three people smiled bitterly. After talking, they actually went around for a long time and finally returned to their original position.
Xunbian held his head with his hands in pain and said, "Aren't we attacking Yanzhou Prefecture all the time? But we can't conquer it, so we think of another way?"
Wang Guoning also said: "In order to capture Yanzhou Prefecture, we have suffered heavy losses and continue to attack. I really don't know how many more people will be lost? I think no matter if there is any other way to go, we should retreat first."
Ma Jinzhong immediately responded: "But have you ever thought about it? We have suffered great losses, so it is difficult for the government army to lose. Maybe the government army is also unsustainable now, but it is just gritting its teeth and struggling to hold on. As long as we add another force, we may be able to conquer Yanzhou Prefecture. If we retreat now, the brothers who died in battle will be in vain, and all the efforts we have made in the past will be in vain. You all think about it carefully. I wonder if I should continue to attack the city or retreat. In short, I will not retreat. If you want to leave, I will stay and continue to attack Yanzhou. If you want to withdraw, you can do it yourself."
In fact, the bandits really have no other place to go, and what Ma Jinzhong said is not unreasonable. What if the officials in the city can't stand it? Wouldn't this retreat be abandoned? Ma Jinzhong also made harsh words, and the others retreated and he did not retreat, and stayed alone to attack Yanzhou. So if he was really beaten down, wouldn’t Ma Jinzhong pick the last fruit alone?
There was another silence in the big tent. After a while, Xu Bian said, "Okay, I'll stay."
Wang Guoning also said: "I will stay too."
Li Yangchun also said: "So much me."
Ma Jinzhong then smiled and said, "Okay, everyone will go back and have a good rest. Work together tomorrow to strive to conquer Yanzhou."
――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――
Of course, Shang Yi didn't know that in the bandit camp, there was a fierce debate about whether to withdraw troops or continue to attack Yanzhou. At this time, Shang Yi was observing with a high-power telescope on a hill three or four miles away from the bandit camp. The movement of the bandit camp.
During these days, the Muling Army was divided into two groups and took turns to guard the city. The official army has always taken the Muling Army as the core, guarding the city strictly, and defeated the bandits' attacks many times. There was no such phenomenon that the bandits almost broke through the city. However, even in the battle, the official army suffered considerable losses. So far, more than 1,800 people have been killed in the battle, and Shang Yi The Muling Army was killed in 87 people. In addition to the injured, there are only more than 6,000 official troops to fight now.
Although there has not been a shortage of soldiers yet, the official army cannot withstand such consumption. Zeng Hualong and Wang Yingtai also began to discuss that if the war continues like this, they will be prepared to recruit young and middle-aged people in the city to guard it.
It's city.
On the other hand, although the problem of food and grass has been temporarily solved, the defenders were very tired after Lian Yu's fierce battle. Even the Muling Army, who was the best-trained, began to show signs of fatigue.
Although the overall situation has not yet appeared to be exhausted, it is not optimistic. At the same time, the bandits seem to have no sign of withdrawing their troops, so if the situation continues like this, it will probably only be against the official army.
It will become increasingly unfavorable.
At this time, the 15th year of Chongzhen (1642), and Shang Yi knew that by the end of this month, the Qing army would attack Yanzhou Prefecture. Therefore, the bandits must be resolved as soon as possible and return to Muling Pass.
So in these two days, after the bandits attacked the city and withdrew their troops, Shang Yi would secretly go out of the city to observe the bandits' camp and look for the bandits' weaknesses.
Because of the high-power telescope, Shang Yi can observe the bandit camp very carefully, and even see the personal appearance very clearly. Through observation, Shang Yi also understood that the bandit camp is divided into two
Some, near Yanzhou City, are the main barracks, the main bandits, the middle-aged men, horses, weapons, and supplies, and other objects, which are also concentrated here. The entire camp is arranged in a very organized manner, although it is not strictly prepared.
It is strict, but it is also considered to be quite tightly guarded.
The latter part is the camp for family members and relatives, living in the old, weak, women and children, as well as food, grass, daily necessities and supplies. Basically, they live in the family, but there are more than a dozen tents living in all young women.
Ji, probably was plundered by the bandits and has not yet become the family of the bandits. At the same time, some seriously injured soldiers were also placed here.
The defense here is much more relaxed. Every day, you can see elderly women coming and going in and out. The camp is full of clothes, and there are even many children and teenagers playing inside and outside the camp. Even here
When there is a war, children will still find ways to find happiness for themselves.
The two camps are less than three or four miles apart. Because the back camp is also responsible for the food of the bandits, many young and middle-aged women carry loads and carts to the front camp to deliver food. In addition to transporting the wounded soldiers, they are all the same.
In addition, the bandits in the front camp rarely go to the back camp collectively. Of course, there are quite a few people who go to the back camp every day, probably reunited with their relatives. Of course, there are also people who are purely to solve physiological problems. Shang Yi has seen several of them.
Then, there were a few bandits who didn't even hurry up and caught a woman outside, pressed her to the ground, and started to do things. The bold and open standard is much larger than later generations. Who said that the ancients were conservative?
After observing the situation for several days, Shang Yi also made a decision to defeat the bandits' rear camp, because this was the logistical basis for the bandits. After burning down the bandits' food and supplies, it would see what else could the bandits do.
Although most of the people in the camp are women and young children, once the official army launches an attack, most of them will probably not be spared, but Shang Yi has no other way now. Only by solving the bandits as soon as possible can he be
Return to Muling Pass, otherwise, when the Qing army arrives, they will probably have to accompany Yanzhou Prefecture to ruin it.